I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a margin blade holder assembly.
II. Description of the Prior Art
In the manufacture of automotive vehicles, it is highly desirable that the spacing between movable body parts, such as the door panel of an automotive vehicle, be maintained within relatively precise dimensions. Consequently, during the manufacture of an automotive vehicle, a margin blade is typically inserted in the space or gap between two door panels or the door panel and a stationary body panel of the automotive vehicle prior to securing the door panel or the body panel to the automotive vehicle frame. These previously known margin blades are of a predetermined thickness, typically {fraction (5/32)} of an inch thick, so that, once the door panel is secured to the vehicle frame, the space in between the door panel and its adjacent body frame is constant along the length of the junction between the door panel and the adjacent body panel. Typically, two margin blades are employed at spaced positions along the gap between the door panel and the adjacent body panel.
These previously known margin blades have been typically manually or automatically positioned in the gap between the door panel and the adjacent body panel. While effective in operation, this previously known method of manually positioning the margin blades between the door panel and the adjacent body panel is labor intensive and, therefore, expensive.
The already existing margin blade holders designed for automotive operation are not reliable and introduce both jamming occurrence during the introduction phase, resulting in line down time, and risk of damage for the outer panel skin hit by a misfitting margin blade.
The purpose of an automatic margin blade holder is to position the margin blade in the gap since the automotive vehicle, even when positioned on an assembly line, is not precisely positioned with respect to automated equipment adjacent the assembly line. As such, assuming that the position of the margin blade is fixed relative to the assembly line, the margin blade may be inaccurately positioned relative to the gap between the door panel and the adjacent stationary panel by as much as a quarter of an inch or even more. Consequently, upon activation of the automated equipment to transversely move the margin blade into the gap, the margin blade may contact either the door panel or the adjacent body panel and damage one or the other.
The present invention provides a margin blade holder assembly which overcomes all of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the previously known devices.
In brief, the margin blade holder assembly comprises a housing having a first part and a second part. An elongated margin blade has a first end swivelly secured to the second housing part having the ability to axially rotate with a slight angle, and a second end which extends outwardly from the second housing part. This second end is pyramidally shaped and adapted for insertion into the gap between a door panel and an adjacent body panel.
The housing parts are secured together by two spaced apart arms. As such, the second housing part is movable in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the margin blade relative to the first part between a first position and a second position. Furthermore, as the second housing part moves between its first position and second position, the longitudinal axis of. the margin blade remains parallel to a predetermined axis regardless of the lateral position of the margin blade between its first and second position.
A pair of stop blocks are mounted on the first housing part while an elongated bar secured to the second housing part has a portion positioned in between the stop blocks. The stop blocks thus limit the lateral movement of the second housing part relative to the first housing part between the first and second positions. Furthermore, one or more threaded members mounted to the stop blocks are aligned with the portion of the bar so that, by threadably adjusting the threaded fastener in the stop block, the precise position of the first and second positions of the second housing part, and thus the degree of movement of the second housing part between its first and second positions, may be adjusted. Additionally, a spring is preferably positioned between the stop blocks and bar in order to resiliently center the second housing part at an intermediate position between its first and second positions.
In use, the first housing part is secured to automated equipment, such as an air cylinder, such that, upon activation of the air cylinder, the air cylinder moves the margin blade holder between a retracted position and an extended position. In its retracted position, the margin blade holder is positioned away from a vehicle carried by an assembly line. Conversely, in its extended position, the air cylinder moves the margin blade holder so that the margin blade is positioned in the gap between the door panel (or other movable panel) and the adjacent body panel. However, since the second housing part, and thus the margin blade, is movable laterally by the relative movement between the first and second housing parts, the margin blade holder assembly automatically compensates for small differences in the precise position of the automotive vehicle on the assembly line. Additionally, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the margin blade is pivotally mounted upon its own axis to the second housing part to compensate for angular mismatches between the margin blade holder and the gap between the door panel and adjacent body panel.